Ruth Davidson defends decision to reinstate councillors who made sectarian and racist comments online

RUTH DAVIDSON has defended the decision to reinstate two Conservative councillors who were suspended for making sectarian and racist comments online.

The Scottish Conservative leader has faced criticism for allowing Robert Davies and Alastair Majury to return to the party.

The pair had their membership suspended within weeks of being elected to Stirling Council in May after the social media posts were uncovered.

Ms Davidson said she “fully understood” the criticism over the decision but wanted to give the two men an opportunity to change their behaviour.

She told BBC Scotland: “As soon as these issues were raised with us, we went to a full disciplinary.

“The tweets themselves were completely unacceptable, there is no equivocation about that, but I’ve been very strong in the past about wanting to change behaviour on social media and online.

“As well as a full disciplinary, as well as the sanction of being suspended, as well as a full and unreserved apology, both of the individuals indicated that they had a genuine wish to change their behaviour and I’ve got a decision to make then about whether I allow for that to happen.”

Ms Davidson said the pair were both undertaking diversity training and would also be sitting down with anti-sectarian charity Nil By Mouth.

She added: “It’s clear that if we’re going to want to see a change in behaviour we than have to allow individuals to have that behaviour change.

“So, I do understand the criticism, I fully accept that what they said was wrong, it was wrong and if their behaviour doesn’t change they are out.

“We’ve got to allow people the opportunity online to change and even if that’s one person or two people at a time, then that’s the way we’re going to go about it.”

Mr Majury, of Dunblane and Bridge of Allan, was behind an account which tweeted anti-Catholic comments in 2012.

His party colleague, who represents the Forth and Endrick ward, posted a series of racists tweets appearing to compare black people to cannibals.

One of the posts in 2013 captioned an archive photo of black people waiting next to a plane with the caption: “No, I am not your lunch. I am your flight attendant.”

Ms Davidson’s comments came as Conservative MP for Moray Douglas Ross faced criticism for stating he would bring in “tougher enforcement against gypsy travellers” if he was prime minister for a day.